---
title: Chatwoot Community Guidelines
description: Guidelines for participating in the Chatwoot community across all platforms
sidebarTitle: Community Guidelines
---

# Chatwoot Community Guidelines

Welcome to the Chatwoot community! These guidelines help ensure our community remains welcoming, productive, and inclusive for everyone.

## General Principles

### 1. Respect and Inclusivity
Everyone is welcome here. Treat all members with respect, regardless of their background, identity, or level of experience.

### 2. Collaboration Over Conflict
Always approach discussions and feedback with a constructive attitude. We're all here to learn and grow together.

### 3. No Spam or Self-Promotion
Unsolicited advertisements, promotions, or spammy links are not allowed. Share valuable content that benefits the community.

## Platform-Specific Guidelines

### Discord-Specific Guidelines

Our Discord server is where the community gathers for real-time discussions, support, and collaboration.

#### Channel Etiquette

1. **Stay On Topic**: Each channel has its purpose. Ensure your discussions are relevant to the channel topic.
2. **Use Thread Responses**: For lengthy discussions, use thread replies to keep channels organized.
3. **Search Before Asking**: Check pinned messages and recent discussions before asking questions.

#### Content Guidelines

1. **No NSFW Content**: This is a professional community. Do not share or promote any NSFW content.
2. **Quality Over Quantity**: Focus on helpful, meaningful contributions rather than frequent low-value messages.
3. **Appropriate Language**: Keep language professional and appropriate for a business environment.

#### Voice Channels

1. **Microphone Etiquette**: Ensure your microphone is muted when not speaking.
2. **Respect Speaking Time**: Avoid interrupting others and allow everyone to participate.
3. **Background Noise**: Use push-to-talk if you're in a noisy environment.

#### Reporting and Support

1. **Report Violations**: If you see someone violating these guidelines, don't engage. Instead, report it to the moderators.
2. **Use Private Messages**: For sensitive issues, reach out to moderators via private message.

### GitHub-Specific Guidelines

GitHub is our primary platform for code collaboration, issue tracking, and project management.

#### Issue Reporting

1. **Search First**: Before reporting a bug or requesting a feature, search the issues to ensure it hasn't been addressed already.
2. **Use Templates**: Follow the provided issue templates for bug reports and feature requests.
3. **Provide Details**: Include clear steps to reproduce, expected behavior, and actual behavior.
4. **Stay Updated**: Monitor your issues for questions from maintainers and respond promptly.

#### Pull Requests

1. **Clear Descriptions**: Ensure your PRs are concise, have a clear title, and are linked to relevant issues.
2. **Follow Style Guide**: Adhere to the existing coding style and conventions.
3. **Test Thoroughly**: Test your changes in multiple scenarios before submitting.
4. **Respond to Reviews**: Address feedback constructively and make requested changes promptly.

#### Code Review Guidelines

1. **Be Constructive**: Provide specific, actionable feedback rather than general criticism.
2. **Explain Reasoning**: When suggesting changes, explain why the change would improve the code.
3. **Appreciate Good Work**: Acknowledge good code and clever solutions.
4. **Stay Professional**: Keep discussions focused on the code, not the person.

#### Documentation

1. **Update Documentation**: If your PR introduces a new feature, ensure that it's documented.
2. **Fix What You See**: If you spot outdated or missing documentation, consider updating it or raising an issue.
3. **Clear Examples**: Provide clear, working examples in documentation.

## Community Support

### Helping Others

#### In Discord

- **Be Patient**: Remember that people have different experience levels
- **Provide Context**: When helping, explain not just what to do, but why
- **Share Resources**: Link to relevant documentation or previous discussions
- **Follow Up**: Check if your help resolved the issue

#### In GitHub

- **Helpful Comments**: Provide constructive feedback on issues and PRs
- **Share Knowledge**: Contribute to discussions with your expertise
- **Test Solutions**: Help test proposed fixes when possible

### Getting Help

#### Before Asking

1. **Check Documentation**: Review the official docs first
2. **Search History**: Look through previous discussions and issues
3. **Try Solutions**: Attempt basic troubleshooting steps

#### When Asking

1. **Be Specific**: Provide clear details about your issue
2. **Include Context**: Share relevant environment information
3. **Show Effort**: Explain what you've already tried
4. **Be Patient**: Allow time for community members to respond

## Consequences for Violating Guidelines

We enforce these guidelines to maintain a positive community environment.

### Warning System

1. **First Violation**: For most violations, you will receive a warning from the moderators.
2. **Repeated Minor Violations**: Additional warnings may lead to temporary restrictions.

### Immediate Actions

For serious violations, immediate actions may be taken:

- **Spam or Self-Promotion**: Immediate ban or removal
- **Harassment or Abuse**: Immediate removal from the community
- **Sharing Inappropriate Content**: Content removal and potential ban

### Appeal Process

If you believe you've been unfairly moderated:

1. **Contact Moderators**: Reach out via private message
2. **Provide Context**: Explain your perspective respectfully
3. **Accept Decisions**: Respect final moderation decisions

Refer to [enforcement guidelines](/contributing-guide/code-of-conduct#enforcement-guidelines) for more details.

## Moderator and Admin Privileges

### Selection Process

Active contributors to the Chatwoot community, those who consistently offer valuable insights, help, and engagement, may be handpicked as moderators or granted specific privileges.

### Criteria for Moderators

- **Consistent Contribution**: Regular, helpful participation in the community
- **Good Judgment**: Demonstrated ability to handle conflicts constructively
- **Technical Knowledge**: Understanding of Chatwoot and related technologies
- **Time Commitment**: Ability to dedicate time to moderation duties

### Responsibilities

Moderators are expected to:

- **Enforce Guidelines**: Apply community guidelines fairly and consistently
- **Facilitate Discussions**: Help keep conversations productive and on-topic
- **Support Users**: Provide assistance and guidance to community members
- **Report Issues**: Escalate serious violations to administrators

### Discretionary Decisions

- **Appointment Process**: The appointment of moderators and the granting of additional privileges are at the sole discretion of the Chatwoot team.
- **Review Process**: Moderator performance is reviewed regularly to ensure community standards are maintained.

### Admin Privileges

For compliance and security reasons, admin privileges in all Chatwoot communities are reserved exclusively for Chatwoot employees.

## Building a Positive Community

### Encouraging Participation

- **Welcome Newcomers**: Help new members feel included and valued
- **Celebrate Contributions**: Acknowledge helpful contributions and achievements
- **Share Knowledge**: Contribute your expertise to help others learn
- **Provide Feedback**: Offer constructive feedback on ideas and solutions

### Creating Inclusive Environment

- **Use Inclusive Language**: Choose words that welcome all community members
- **Respect Differences**: Value diverse perspectives and experiences
- **Avoid Assumptions**: Don't assume others' backgrounds or knowledge levels
- **Learn Together**: Approach discussions as learning opportunities

## Resources for Community Members

### Getting Started

- **Community Onboarding**: [Discord community](https://discord.com/invite/cJXdrwS)
- **Contributor Guide**: [Contributing documentation](/contributing-guide)
- **Code of Conduct**: [Detailed guidelines](/contributing-guide/code-of-conduct)

### Stay Connected

- **Discord Server**: Real-time community discussions
- **GitHub Discussions**: Long-form technical discussions
- **Twitter**: [@chatwootapp](https://twitter.com/chatwootapp) for updates
- **Blog**: [Chatwoot Blog](https://www.chatwoot.com/blog) for articles and insights

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Together, we can build an amazing community that supports Chatwoot users and contributors worldwide. Thank you for being part of our journey! 🚀
